


you’re the only friend i need

by elece



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: And some of the other trauma, Angst, Archie and Betty are best friends, Bughead and Varchie bashing, Cheating, F/M, Fake Character Death, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Infidelity, Kinda, No one really questions the relationship, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Song title based off ribs by lorde, discussion of Grundy, i guess, not that bad tho, people are more supportive than Veronica and Jughead are comfortable with, they have always expected them to date
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:08:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24330076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elece/pseuds/elece
Summary: Faking her boyfriends death is not what Betty had envisioned her senior year to be. She had wanted a normal year where they acted like teenagers and their only worries were college, prom, tests and avoiding detention. But this is Riverdale and things rarely go to plan.OrArchie and Betty understand why they need to pretend to date for everyone at school. What they don’t understand is why they don’t really feel like they’re pretending.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper/Veronica Lodge/Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 8
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1 : The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Us not seeing more of Archie and Betty fake dating was a crime! So this is just an idea I had that kind of spiralled out of control.

“I’m sorry, you want us to what?” Archie exclaimed his voice echoing in the bunker, his eyes darting between his girlfriend and two best friends.

“I know it seems crazy,” Jughead began.  
“Seems crazy?” Betty interrupted, “do you even know what you are suggesting?”

“We need to do all we can to pull this off,” Jughead declared waiting on nods of agreement from Archie and Betty, “this, this is it.” He told them earnestly.

“Look,” Veronica urged, “ it was you Archie who brought it up to me, and Betty you said something as well to Jughead, people aren’t convinced Jughead is dead, and what better way to convince them that he is than have his girlfriend and best friend date,” she pointed out.

“How did you even come up with this idea?” Betty challenged.  
“Well,” Jughead began “ I came up with the first part, you said that people at school still had doubts, and I began to think what would really sell the idea and realised we should make it seem like you had moved on. But I couldn’t think of who you could move on with.” He finished.

“That’s where I came in,” Veronica stated. “When Jughead told about his idea you were the first person that came to mind,” she told Archie smiling up hesitantly at him. 

“For one you knew about Jughead so Betty wouldn’t have to hurt you and you could plan how to be spotted without her actually dating someone and also you’re Jugheads best friend in no world do you date his girlfriend if he’s still alive,” she added.

“But Ronnie, we’re dating will people believe that suddenly I’m just in love with Betty?” Archie asked incredulously.  
“Well, you’ve kissed before haven’t you, it shouldn’t be that hard,” Veronica scoffed watching matching looks of guilt spread across Archie and Betty’s face.  
“Veronica...” Betty began her voice trembling slightly.  
“Ronnie,” came from Archie at the same time.

“Relax guys,” she flashed them a quick smile, “we know it’s all in the past, but I’ll use my spectacular acting skills when I find out about you two”, she used air quotes for the “find out”, “ and you just need to act like you’ve been messing around behind my back.”

“Look,” Jughead drew the attention back to himself, “you know how rumours fly about the school, we just need to plant seeds that there is something going in between you two, and then you two have to occasionally publicly kiss, it’s not that hard is it?” he looked at them impatiently.

Betty and Archie looked at each other reading each other in a way that best friends for years could only do.  
“You’re right Jug,” Betty acknowledged.  
“Yeah,” Archie agreed, “when do we...” he trailed off “ you know start the act.”

“Funny you should ask Archiekins,” Veronica purred softly reaching up to peck him, “I happen to know that Cheryl will be at Pops in 20 minutes.”  
“You want us to kiss at Pops?” They both exclaimed incredulously.

“No,” Jughead interjected, “just act very affectionate.”  
“More than usual.” Veronica added.

Betty and Archie looked at each other again, more intently this time, trying to see if the other was at all uncomfortable, Betty looked away to smile at Jughead in what she hoped was a reassuring way, but she could still feel Archies eyes on her.

Archie finally stopped gazing at Betty when he was satisfied that she was happy to do this.  
Just as Jughead leaned into kiss Betty, Archie interrupted.  
“C’mon Betty, we don’t want to miss Cheryl.”  
She followed Archie up the ladders and gave Jughead and Veronica one last pitiful wave.


	2. Chapter 2 : You pick me up and take me home again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archie and Betty head to Pops, knowing Cheryl will be there so she can witness something go down between them whilst they both battle conflicting thoughts and hold hands for longer than what feels appropriate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should start updating at least once a week, this was originally for Friday, but I got a big boost of writing momentum and wrote a few new chapters so I’m going to release this one slightly early. I should be able to update by next week or earlier hopefully.  
> The chapter title is from “400 Lux” by Lorde which I consider to be the ultimate sing for driving around at night.  
> If you ever want to gage what I’m thinking of when I write the chapters I just listen to Pure Heroine on repeat with dashes of Melodrama.

They sat alone at a booth in Pops. 

They were the only ones in the restaurant other than Pop Tate himself who was somewhere in the back kitchen having just delivered them their usual milkshakes.

They had both had the same order since kindergarten, Betty would order a Vanilla milkshake and Archie a strawberry milkshake. Every time they came to Pops together they would order the same thing. Except during the summer between middle school and high school where they made a pact to have tried everything on the menu.

They came to Pops as much as they possibly could that summer and had all the different possible combinations. They still didn’t manage to try everything and spent the night before they were due to start high school gorging themselves on new flavour combinations that both swore they had never seen before on the menu.

Archie and Betty both missed their first day of freshman year, both stuck at home, having ate more than either of their young bodies could cope with.

Neither cared.

Both bubbling with pride over completing their promises and when they weren’t glued to the side of the toilet they were waving at each other through their windows yelling congratulations at each other still feeling the remainders of their sugar high.

They hadn’t ate at Pops for months after excluding their strawberry and vanilla milkshakes. They sat in their usual booth now half way through their senior year both with their usual milkshakes in front of them and for the first time in years were filled with an awkward silence.

Even when Archie and Betty had first met there had been no awkwardness between them.

Archie had just moved in and Betty’s mom had dragged her over to the Andrews house so she could talk to Mary. As soon as little Archie had been introduced to his new neighbour he had grabbed her hand and led her to his backyard where they had played a game before swearing that they were now best friends and always would be.

The closest to awkward they had ever been was sophomore year after Archie had rejected Betty and she was struggling to be around him.

Even then the awkwardness and embarrassment had only lasted days before things had went back to how they had always been or as close as they could get, because that night when Betty had poured out her heart to Archie things had changed between them more than the two would ever realise.

But now sitting at their booth in Pops on a Friday night, just as they had done countless times in the past, things were awkward. They were not awkward because they had fallen out or because of any love confessions, things were awkward because they both knew what they had agreed to do but didn’t know how to start.

Betty jumped slightly when the door was thrown open and Cheryl Blossom sauntered in, heading to a booth slightly behind them to the left without acknowledging either of them.

She could feel Archies eyes on her and looked up to make eye contact, then he smiled at her and lead her into a conversation about their shared history project whilst Pop Tate served Cheryl.

They talked lightly about the Great Depression, Betty cracking up at one of Archies jokes before he looked at her seriously and nodding inconspicuously towards Cheryl letting her know that they could begin the act.

Betty breathed in nervously, and wondered not for the first time why they hadn’t scripted this. Then again her and Archie had always bounced off one another, as if sensing her hesitation Archie gave her a reassuring smile and she straightened her back ready to begin the act.  
“Arch... I,” Betty began softly looking deep into the eyes of her best friend. “What’s wrong Betty, you can tell me anything you know that,” Archie interrupted concern evident in his tone.

“I keep waiting for Jughead to come back,” she let out a sob,” and he isn’t, he won’t ever come back, and I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep going on.” The tears that she hadn’t been able to shed when she thought she had murdered her boyfriend were pouring out now, before she could begin to think about that too much she felt Archie place his hand over hers and grab onto it pulling it closer to him as goosebumps slid over her hands and up her arms.

“Arch...” Betty sobbed her lip quivering unconsciously. “Day by day Betty, we’ll get through this together.” He assured her his hands squeezing hers soothingly.

“Everyone at school, they think he’s alive and it only makes thing worse,” she wailed still holding his hand squeezing it back. “I just... I don’t know what to do.” She admitted and Archie could sense the honesty in her eyes and knew she was saying this not just for Cheryl to overhear but so he could hear her say it to him.

They sat there for a few moments hands still joined and in a comfortable silence. Archie patted her hand tenderly, before releasing it and standing up.  
“I should get you home Betty, “ he recommended gently, “you’ve been through a lot today.” As he said this he looked into her eyes and Betty knew he meant it.

They both exited the booth and once they were both in the aisle their hands sought each other out and the held hands all the way to Archies car, even when Cheryl couldn’t see them.

They dropped hands once they climbed into the car and Archie had to resist the urge to reach out for Betty’s soft hand. “Do you think she believed it?” Betty interrupted Archies deep thoughts.

“I don’t know Betty, you haven’t really acted since heathers and that was a bit of a train wreck” he teased her softly, elevating the air of seriousness around them.

“Hey!” Betty squeaked indignantly. “As I remember it, I was one of the main characters and you, who were you again?” she pretended to ponder it for a moment before continuing “ah yes a lowly side character with like two lines.”

“The best two lines of the whole show,” he countered grinning at her. Betty looked at him and as she was about to respond broke into a fit of giggles. Archie laughed back softly before losing it completely when a snort escaped from Betty.

At that point the two of them became hysterical laughing the most they had in nearly two years before coming to an abrupt halt when they saw Cheryl leave Pops. On the way to her car she slipped slightly her heel getting caught in a crevice in the car park.

Once they were sure Cheryl was out of ear shot they dissolved back into the manic giggling from earlier, all thoughts of Jughead, Veronica, their plan and evil preppies gone.

They stayed in the parking lot at Pops laughing like children for longer than either would like to admit before Archie started the engine.

Archie drove them home through the familiar streets of Riverdale whilst Betty turned up the radio when a song they both knew came on. They screamed along the lyrics Archie getting distracted when Betty started dancing and yelling the wrong lyrics out confidently. 

“Archie” Betty shrieked when she realised they had missed their turning point. He looked at her apologetically and shrugged his shoulders “Sorry Betts but if you hadn’t been yelling the wrong lyrics this wouldn’t have happened, I’m only surprised I managed to make it that far without crashing,” he joked.

”Archie” Betty shoved him, not a trace of anger in her voice. He rolled down the windows and they sang out the lyrics of the Taylor Swift song that came on next, both of them laughing once again when they realised neither of them knew the true lyrics.

They drove around riverdale for the next hour singing and laughing, neither of them discussing the big day they were due to have tomorrow. When Archie’s car eventually arrived in his garage, they both got out.

Archie looked at Betty for a moment not wanting or knowing how to say goodbye. She smiled tiredly at him, drawing him into a hug whispering a goodbye into his ear.

Archie didn’t hear her. He could only focus on the feel of her body pressed up against his, when she stared at him questioningly he choked out a goodbye and offered to walk her to her door.

She grinned up at him and told him teasingly that she would manage he waved as she walked out the garage even when he could tell she could no longer see him.

Once he was sure she was in her house he creaked up to his room softly, careful not to wake up his mom, who, he knew, would be asleep by this time. He arrived at his bedroom, shutting the door carefully, before sinking down against it reflecting on the evening he had.

He heard a buzz from his phone and unlocked it to see a text from Betty.

Window? - Betty 01:58

He looked up to see Betty standing at her window. He quickly stood up to see her more closely and watched as she waved up at him.

He waved back slightly confused as Betty’s waving continued and became slightly erratic. His cheeks turned red when he realised she had seen his continued waving, and he moved to shut his blinds embarrassed, before he could, he got a text from Betty.

Sorry - Betty 02:01

He put his phone down and smiled at her through his window letting her know he wasn’t angry. His phone buzzed again.

Goodnight 😘 - Betty 02:02

He sent the same message back to her and when he looked up her blinds, they were closed.

He closed his own, sank into bed, excited for what he knew would come tomorrow, but also apprehensive. 

They both went to sleep that night with a smile on their faces.


	3. Chapter 3 : when all eyes are on you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betty and Archie walk to school together and prepare for the big kiss.

Betty Cooper woke up that morning knowing she was going to kiss Archie. 

It wasn’t that she had never kissed him, they had already kissed before. Their first kiss had been panic fuelled and in the heat of the moment. 

She had discussed it with Jughead for days, promising him that it meant nothing and that she was just confused. She had also cried and pleaded with Veronica that it was just a blip that nothing was happening between them.

She hadn’t discussed it with Archie. 

Not once. 

They had both shied away from any mention of the kiss they had shared in front of Cheryls house.She still remembered the feel of his lips on hers. 

The way his tongue had prodded at her lips begging for entry. She remembered his hands, how they had reached out for hers grabbing onto them, squeezing them. 

She had dreamt about his eyes for days the amber highlights hidden within the deep brown, as they looked into her own. 

Almost as if they were looking into her soul. The words he had uttered “ I need you with me... I need Betty Cooper,” had haunted her long after they had left the car.

Logically she knows it’ll be the same. But she wonders if he kisses the same when their lives aren’t in danger, well at least imminently. 

The sound of her mum banging on the door telling her she needs to hurry up, puts an end to her spiralling thoughts. She gets up, showers for longer than usual, spends 5 minutes brushing her teeth and changes her shirt 4 times. 

She scours through her drawers until she finds the perfume Archie bought her for her birthday last year and sprays it on generously. 

Once her make up is applied she falters at the last step, she considers putting on the pale pink lipstick Jughead had bought her, the one she had been wearing all of her senior year, but instead Betty selected the strawberry lip gloss she had worn sophomore year and applied it carefully, even going so far as too dig out her old matching lip liner.

Betty spends no time analysing any of this instead she gets up and opens her curtains ready to leave, only to find the subject of her own turbulent thoughts smiling across at her.

...

Archie Andrews woke up that morning knowing he was going to kiss Betty. 

He knows that it is all pretend and that it doesn’t mean anything the same as what he had told Veronica last time him and Betty kissed. 

The kiss is just to further the belief Jughead is dead, he’s aware of this. But still when he gets out of bed he’s more excited to go to school than he has been in years. 

He panics for once, opening his wardrobe and instead of grabbing the nearest top he looks though them before settling on the blue top his mom had just bought him. 

The top is lightly crinkled and if his mom is surprised to see him ironing she doesn’t tell him. He shoves on his varsity jacket and gets ready to leave before remembering his school bag. 

When he goes upstairs and grabs the bag, he looks out his window to see Betty. She’s at her mirror putting on lip gloss and she looks happy he notices. 

Betty being happy is all he wants for her. 

Knowing that he had been the one to hurt her even if it was all those years ago pains him. Whenever he thinks of Betty, something that happens more than a boy with a girlfriend should do, he always pictured her smiling, in all pink her cheeks a soft blush. He sees her look out towards him and feels his phone buzz in his pocket. 

Walk me to school? -Betty 8:31

He smiles thinking back to the last time she had asked him that. She had been heartbroken, so had he lost in turmoils if Miss Grundy and Veronica, music and football, but still she had attempted to make things right. 

Betty had always been good like that, they could have even the slightest bicker, not they had often argued and she would show up at his door his favourite cookies in hand. 

He remembered so vividly the relief he had felt, the excitement he experienced the way his heart had started to beat erratically, when he knew he could still have Betty in his life. 

He realised he hadn’t responded yet and quickly typed a response.

Sure. I’ll meet you at your door? - Archie 8:33

Betty opened the door to see Archie standing there on the balls of his feet looking side to side. He waved at Jellybean and saw her run up the stairs to hide. 

Betty gave him an odd look before smiling and saying goodbye to her mom and Jugheads dad. 

He wondered how that was going all four, no five, six actually including their shared brother all living in the same house even if Jughead was currently down in the bunker. 

Betty shakes him out of his musings, when she asks after his mom, he smiles for real then, and launches into an elaborate story about his moms new case and the the crazy prosecutor she was up against. 

Veronica interrupted them at the gate reminding them to text her once they were sure Cheryl knew. Archie nodded his head, promised for both of them before leading Betty into the school. 

If he though the silence between Veronica and Betty was out of the ordinary he didn’t let on and instead walked her to math. 

Before walking into class, before he left, she reached out and grabbed his arm, “Arch,” she began before the bell cut her off. “I’ll come get you as soon as class ends, I need to go to gym, but I’ll leave early so I’m here for you coming out and we can walk to the next class together, I know this isn’t easy, but I’ve got you Betts you know that right?” 

It was so Archie that she giggled actually giggled before nodding. He tried to pull her into some sort of side hug before Mr Flanagan coughed and she blushed furiously and ran to her seat feeling the whole class staring at her she turned back to half wave at Archie but he was already gone. 

She ignored Kevin’s inquisitive state and instead pulled out her textbook and tried to pay attention to the lesson.

Archie met her outside like he said he would. 

They were half way out the hall ready to decide where they would stage the kiss when she noticed she had left her books in her rush to leave the classroom, Archie simply smiled and ran back to get them, telling her not to worry, she walked out to the hall alone only to see everyone gathered around the lockers. 

She pushed through only to see some sort of memorial to Jughead, it was too much. The doubts began to creep in about whether she could do this, whether they could pull it off. 

She could feel everyone’s eyes on her once again. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. She knew the overall feeling was pity, that that’s what they all felt towards her, but still there was something else something darker in some of their eyes. 

As if they were watching her. 

Waiting for her to trip up. 

To break down to make a mistake. 

She turned around and ran out the hallway.

**Author's Note:**

> Next up Pops!  
> I should be able to update within the next week.


End file.
